Garmin Edge 1000 GPS review

by Matt de Neef - June 19, 2014

The Edge 1000 is Garmin's latest GPS-enabled cycling computer and the highest-specced unit in the Edge range which features the existing Edge 510 and Edge 810. CyclingTips editor Matt de Neef spent a few weeks with the Edge 1000 and wrote the following review.

The unit

The first thing you notice when you pull the Edge 1000 out of its packaging is just how big it is. It’s noticeably larger than both the Edge 510 and 810, considerably bigger than the Edge 500, and almost as tall as an iPhone 5. Regardless of where you decide to mount the unit — it comes with a stem mount and an “out-front” mount — the Edge 1000 takes up a lot of room and takes some getting used to.

The Edge 1000 has a waterproof rating of IPX7 meaning it can “withstand incidental exposure to water of up to 1 meter for up to 30 minutes” so you don’t need to worry if it starts raining while you’re riding. Garmin claims that the screen works fine in the rain and/or while wearing gloves and they’re right, but with gloves in particular you need to be far more precise and deliberate when using the touchscreen.

When we reviewed the Garmin 510 last year one of the complaints we had was that the touch screen just wasn’t as good as you might expect if you own an Apple or Samsung smartphone. And while the touchscreen on the Edge 1000 still isn’t quite at that level, is considerably easier to use than on the 510.

As well as the touch screen, the unit also has three buttons, just like the 510 and 810: a power button, a start/pause button, and a lap button.

Using the Edge 1000

You’ve got two options when buying the Edge 1000: buying just the device or the performance bundle. With the device-only option you’ll get your usual goodies — mounts, USB cable, quick-start guide etc. — and with the bundle you’ll get all that plus a speed sensor, a cadence sensor and a heartrate monitor and strap.

The speed sensor is a cinch to install — you simply wrap it around your rear hub — and the cadence sensor is similarly easy to install– it just attaches to your non-drive-side crank using the rubber bands provided. (Note: if you’ve got a crank with a Stages powermeter installed, you won’t be able to attach the Garmin cadence sensor. But you don’t need to — the Stages measures and transmits cadence via ANT+ already).

When you first turn the Edge 1000 on you’ll be asked to select your language of choice, your preferred units of measurement and your time format, and then you’ll be asked to enter your age, gender and height. Then it will take you to the home screen where you’re able to, among other things, ride a pre-loaded course, do a pre-loaded workout, use the pre-loaded maps to find your way somewhere (more on mapping below), view segments (see below), or simply start recording a ride (justpress the start/pause button on the front of the unit).

Garmin Edge 1000 on the out-front mount with the home screen showing.

I don’t want to think about how many hours of my life I’ve wasted standing at my front door waiting for my Edge 500 to find a GPS signal. But with the Edge 1000 it’s literally done within a second or two, thanks to GLONASS, a GPS network run by the Russian Aerospace Defence Forces. (Note: the Edge 510 features GLONASS but the 810 doesn’t.)

Once you’ve started your ride, you can use the unit’s gigantic screen to display as much (or as little) data as you want. You can have up to five screens with 10 pieces of data on each, with everything from current speed to average speed; from current power to average power for the last lap; from temperature to elevation. These can all be customised through the settings page, or by pressing and holding a data field while riding, then selecting another field from the list that pops up.

In addition to those five screens of data you can also choose to display a map page (which can also have two data fields at the bottom), a compass page, a page showing the elevation profile of your ride thus far, a lap summary (which can show a range of data for the laps on your ride; great if you’re doing hill repeats, for example), and a virtual partner (which will ride at a set speed and show you the gap between you and it).

All these screens and all this data will likely be overwhelming for most riders, but then again it’s always nice to have options, particularly if you’re a stats junkie. For example, you might have one screen set up with basic data (speed, time, average speed etc.), one for climbing (speed, heartrate, power, VAM, altitude, elevation gain, gradient) and one for time trialling (speed, heartrate, power, lap time etc.) I ended up riding with just two data screens with about seven fields on each, plus the map and the profile.

New features

So what’s new in the Garmin Edge 1000 that you can’t get in the 510 and 810? A quick look at this features comparison table on the Garmin website seems to show just two main differences aside from the bigger screen: round-trip routing (which I’ll discuss in a moment) and a training calendar. This calendar essentially allows you to look back through recent rides that you’ve done (and which are saved on the unit) and pull up the stats from those rides, including the map, elevation profile, lap details and so on.

It’s a cool little feature but the question is: how often would you use it when you can do the same thing using a service like Strava, Garmin Connect, Training Peaks, Cycling Analytics, or any number of other options? I know I’d prefer to crunch the numbers back at my computer rather than on the Garmin unit while out for a ride.

The launch of the Edge 1000 coincided with the launch of a new, sleeker version of Garmin Connect, as well as Garmin Connect segments. For anyone that’s used Strava, these segments will be very familiar — they are essentially defined sections of road with a leaderboard showing who’s fastest and how everyone who’s ridden that segment stacks up. This video shows you, in a nicely stylised way, how the feature works:

In order to ride a segment and get live feedback on how you’re going, you need to select the segment from a map in the browser-based Garmin Connect (or create your own from a ride you’ve done), then send the segment to your device using the free Garmin Express software. With the segment loaded on to the Edge 1000 you’ll get a notification when you’re near the start of the segment, an alert when you’re on the segment, second-by-second updates on how your time compares with the leader (or someone else you choose), and then, at the end, an indication of how well you went.

Speaking with our local Garmin rep it sounds like the Segments functionality is still a little way off being completely usable, particularly when it comes to leaderboards for new segments. Indeed, there is a “coming soon” banner over part of the Segments section of Garmin Connect at the moment, plus a noticeably small number of segments visible on the map as well.

The segments feature will also be available on the 510 and 810 in time, albeit only when they’re included in a course that’s loaded to the unit for riding. It’s also worth pointing out that Strava segments aren’t compatible with the Edge’s Segments feature. This isn’t all that surprising — Garmin is obviously keen to keep everything in house and make up some of the ground it’s lost to Strava on this front — but for the average punter it’s a little frustrating. For one thing it means having to create segments again from scratch (can we all agree that we don’t need five segments for every identical stretch of road?!)

But all in all, Garmin Connect Segments is a nifty feature. If you’re setting out to try and beat your best time on a particular climb, for example, simply load up the segment on to your unit and you’ll get real-time updates as you ride it. No need to press anything on the unit to start tracking your progress — as long as the segment is on the Edge 1000 and enabled, it all happens automatically.

Mapping

One of the main reasons to go for the Garmin 1000 over, say, the Garmin 510 is the routable mapping functionality. From the home screen you simply select “Where To?” and you’re presented with a number of options for selecting where you want to go.

The Route Planner will create a route for you with multiple waypoints, and you can select these waypoints by simply dropping a pin on the map, searching through “point of interest” (POI) categories (such as food and drink, fuel services, entertainment etc.), inputting an address or, if you’re really keen, entering GPS coordinates.

Two ways of selecting where you want to go: dropping a pin on the map as part of the route planner (left), and choosing one of three ride options with round-trip routing (right).

Then there’s the “round-trip routing” feature which appears exclusively on the Edge 1000. You simply enter the distance you feel like riding and the unit will design three loop courses for you to choose from. You can see the map for each and how much climbing is involved before you commit.

I found myself using this function quite a bit. It provides the sort of serendipity I’m often looking for on a ride; the chance to explore new roads and see new areas without having to sit down and map out a route before the ride.

The routing algorithm is solid — it seems to avoid sending you down big traffic-heavy roads (for the most part), instead preferring to include quiet back streets. This is good and bad depending on the sort of riding you feel like doing — if you’re looking for a fast, uninterrupted ride, quiet back streets with lots of twists and turns aren’t going to be all that fun. But if you want something that takes you places you haven’t been before, the back streets option can be safer and more enjoyable.

Once you’ve got your route selected (by the Route Planner or round-trip routing) you press “Ride” and the navigation will kick in. The route is overlaid on the map and you’ll get audio and visual cues when you need to turn. You don’t need to keep the unit on the map screen — if you’ve got one of your data screens showing and there’s a turn coming up, the unit will flick over to the map for you, before returning you to the screen you were on once you’ve made the turn.

Simply put, the navigation on the Edge 1000 is great. Turn directions always pop up with enough time for you to react safely (unlike when you’re using breadcrumb trails on the Edge 500, say) and the instructions are almost always clear. It’s this mapping functionality that’s the biggest drawcard of the Edge 1000 and sets it apart from the Edge 510.

Connectivity

The Garmin Edge 1000 comes with all the connectivity options you would expect in a GPS unit in 2014. As well as ANT+ connectivity (to pull data from heartrate monitors, power meters and other sensors) and a micro USB port (for charging and for uploading ride data to your PC and/or the web) the Edge 1000 has WiFi connectivity for uploading rides directly to Garmin Connect. If you’ve got Shimano Di2 and the SM-EWW01 Wireless Unit, the Edge 1000 can also display real-time gear information, including the gear you are in and the remaining battery charge.

The Edge 1000 also features Bluetooth Smart connectivity which, when connected to a smartphone, opens up a range of features. These include having text messages or phone-call notifications pop up on the Edge 1000, being able to upload a completed activity to Garmin Connect via your phone’s data connection, weather updates, and LiveTrack.

With the Edge 1000 connected to your smartphone via Bluetooth Smart, you can open up the Garmin Connect smartphone app and start LiveTrack. You can then send the link to people via email or via social media and they’ll be able to see a map like the above. The map seems to update every 30 seconds or so.

LiveTrack was debuted with the launch of the Edge 510 and Edge 810 last year and we discussed it in our reviews of those products. LiveTrack doesn’t appear to have changed much in the past year, and it’s still a nifty little feature with a couple of drawbacks (including the fact it drains your phone’s battery).

Issues and hassles

It’s clear that Garmin is still in the process of ironing out a couple of issues in the Edge 1000 firmware, the most noticeable of these is the “touch screen locked” bug. Quite often I would go to swipe between screens or press something on the touchscreen and a banner would pop up on the unit saying “Touch screen locked” and I’d be unable to do anything. I tried updating the firmware but that didn’t help. In the end the only solution I could find was to pause and resume the activity, and even after that it would still happen intermittently.

I’m not the only one that’s had this issue and Garmin tells us they’re working on a bug fix.

I also had an issue with some incorrect navigation when riding courses I’d created and uploaded to the Edge 1000. This seemed to happen on bike tracks in particular, especially when those bike tracks were near major roads and the Edge 1000 thought I was riding on the road rather than the bike track.

Final thoughts and summary

These issues aside, the Garmin Edge 1000 is a great device that does virtually everything you could want in a bike-mountable GPS unit. The navigation and mapping features are solid, the connectivity options allow you to connect the Edge 1000 to a range of sensors and smartphone features through Bluetooth Smart, and generally speaking, the unit just works as you’d expect it to.

The mapping works just as you’d expect it to, giving you clear instructions with plenty of time to react. In this case I’m doing a U-turn at a roundabout and approaching a segment that I’ve loaded on to the device (designated by the green line).

The question you need to ask yourself is whether it’s worth going for the Edge 1000 over the 510 and 810. As mentioned above, Garmin’s own comparison table suggests that the only major differences between this unit and the others are the bigger screen, the round-trip routing feature and the training calendar.

Of course it’s also worth factoring in the price: roughly $650 for the performance bundle or $629 for just the unit, compared to roughly $544 for the Edge 810 bundle or $370 for the Edge 510 bundle.

You should also consider where the Edge 1000 sits in relation to comparable products from other brands. We recently reviewed the Magellan Cyclo 505H, for instance, which sits between the Edge 510 and Edge 810 in terms of price, but features mapping like the higher-specced unit.

Does the Edge 1000 have enough to set it apart from the Edge 510 or Edge 810 and justify the higher price tag? Probably not in my book. If I wanted mapping I’d likely go for the 810. That said, there’s no doubt that if you’ve got the funds to pick up the Edge 1000 you won’t be disappointed, particularly once the next firmware update comes out.

Edge 1000 on the stem mount. Chris Froome would be shattered — no stem is visible.

From left to right: Garmin Edge 500, Garmin Edge 1000 and an iPhone 5.

The new Garmin Connect dashboard.

What segment leaderboards look like on Garmin Connect.

Creating a new workout. Workouts comprise a series of efforts or rest periods which can be designed according to your training needs.

Here’s a workout I mocked up. You can then upload it to the Edge 1000, select it from the menu, and follow the prompts. Handy.

Segment leaderboards still aren’t 100% functional.

Compared with the number of Strava segments, there are very few Garmin Connect segments so far.

The cadence sensor mounted to the non-drive-side crank.

The speed sensor, mounted to the rear hub.

Segment approaching!

I’m falling behind on the segment.

Wrap-up

Impressive

The Garmin Edge 1000 does just about everything you could ask for in a bike-mounted GPS unit. The unit's size can be off-putting initially, but you get used to it and even appreciate the bigger screen size. A few firmware issues have hobbled the product's release but once these are sorted this Edge 1000 will serve you well.

GOOD STUFF

Big screen allows you to see as much data as you want

Touch screen is more responsive than previous units

Navigation and mapping works very well

A slew of connectivity options help you to get the most out of the unit

BAD STUFF

Big screen can be off-putting initially

"Touch screen locked" bug is very frustrating

CTech Rating

8.4

Form

8.0

Function

9.0

Marketing claims

8.0

Serviceability

7.0

Appeal

8.0

If you want to read an in-depth review of seemingly every feature on the Garmin Edge 1000, check out this piece from the ever-impressive DC Rainmaker.

Want to know how we arrived at the final score and what each of the ranking criteria mean? Click here to find out.

i see Garmin as approaching their peak in market share. their dilemma is what i’ve heard described as the thin/thick client choice – whether to pack functionality into the device (thick client), or keep it simple (thin client), leave it as primarily a measurement device and leave the functionality to other devices (PC, strava, etc.)

the risk is that the thin client strategy tends to make the device more of a commodity and susceptible to competition. but the thick client option asks people to pay more for functionality which is arguably available for free on your PC.

i have a 510 and i still haven’t gotten around to using 80% of the functionality. OTOH, my HR sensor seems to have died today. now THAT is an issue.

pedr09

The Garmin HR straps are rubbish. I went through 3 of them in 6 months and gave up on them. It wasn’t the batteries. Garmin’s support was non-existent. Luckily, I bought them from a retailer who cared about their customers and gave me a new one each time.

GT

Any suggestions on a replacement HR strap that pairs with a Garmin 500 and a Wattbike? Mine gives ridiculously high heart rates.

Sean Doyle

I’ve been using the Bontrager equivalent with zero hassles.

GT

In reply to myself….. A bit of internet research shows a Polar Wearlink Strap has the studs in the same place as the Garmin, so you need only buy a Polar strap ( no need to buy Polar transmitter as will not work with Garmin anyway ) and attach your Garmin transmitter to it and less problems. Seems the pickups on the Garmin soft strap are prone to failure.

Michael

Buy a $25 polar soft strap and clip on your Garmin unit to it. Solves the problem. All three versions of the Garmin soft strap are rubbish and can spike the heart rate in cold conditions. I have never had another issue since going to the polar strap.

Brian F

Any Ant+ sensor will work.

Brian F

I have a polar HR strap which came with my Keiser M3 spin bike, it quit. Upon examining the strap, it seems to me that this type of strap will fail, it’s just a matter of when. The new Garmin strap isn’t constructed much differently.

I have two of the original Garmin straps which came with my Edge 450, maybe it was a 350. They are a molded one piece design where the HR sensors and the electronics are in one piece. I ride an average of 5,000 miles per year, and I am still using the first HR sensor, and it works flawlessly. Garmin should bring back the original.

SouthernHoax

I have found that the straps go funny and give high heart rates / poor readings if if you wash them in the washing machine with your kits so i dont and just get a new one if every 12 months. they work great.

tj

Unfortunately Garmin seems intent on world domination, hence their attempt to replicate Strava without providing a solid user interface or provide any semblance of responsible customer service. After unsuccessfully trying to resolve accuracy issues with Garmin with both my 510 and HRM I’ve tossed the HRM and now use the 510 only for route recording.

Johnbenread

+1 For the Bontrager Heart Rate Strap.

I’ve used it for over a year no issues, it’s easy to put on with those easy clasp/button things.

Seems accurate compared to my old HR straps.

Coach

When the unit has a bike based odometer like my 800 I’ll update! Until then I’ll just hope the old unit keeps going…

Weekend Warrior

How does battery life compare with to previous Garmins? Can a 10 hour plus ride be recorded before the battery runs flat?

Matt de Neef

According to Garmin, yep (http://sites.garmin.com/edge/). 15 hours, compared with 17 hours for the 810 and 20 hours for the 510. I must admit I didn’t do a 15-hour ride to test it though!

jules

my 510 seems like it will last 15+ hours, although i haven’t tested that either. a 12 hour Audax ride was no problem..

Hardo

So far the longest I’ve been out with my 510 was just over 11 hours. I took an interest in the battery life left, as I was curious. It had 43% left.

eatmorelard

If you are using navigation with the turn by turn pop ups on a 800, you will be hard pressed to get much more than 12 hours (since it illuminates the screen each time). In comparison, I’ve gotten 15 hours out of a 500 with about 15% battery left. For longer rides, you are better off without turn by turn pop ups and relying on the map and off course notification!

Hardo

I have a love/hate relationship with my Garmin 510. I love it when it works, but….

My first unit had to be sent back after 2 months because of constant “mystery resets” crashes and a dead pixels on the touchscreen. The 2nd “refurbished” unit has so far only reset itself once, but that was when uploading to Garmin Connect which, whilst it looks the goods, I find buggy and clunky. Unfortunately, each time it resets, I lose data/screen prefs etc, which is a pain to set up again and again so I’ve taken to backing up the Garmin folder often. When the unit resets, I just drag the backed up prefs back onto the unit.

I’m a long time user of Apple products, so I’m not sure if I’m just spoilt by having my electronics work beautifully with very little fuss or problem straight out of the box.

jules

i had endless trouble with my 510 resetting preferences, until i did 2 things:
1. update firmware
2. format the memory drive.

it wasn’t until i did #2 that the bugs disappeared, so #1 may have no impact at all, but doesn’t seem to have done any harm. i did #2 after accidentally leaving the device recording overnight, which caused damaged clusters on the drive. but the resetting bugs were occurring before that.

Hardo

The firmware is up to date, but one of the resets [and wipes] happened when the new Garmin Connect Desktop App was uploading to Garmin Connect. One was saying all was up to date, yet another was asking to update “Maps”. When I’d press Update… nothing seemed to happen. Very confusing and frustrating. Not what I need after a beautiful ride.

I’m interested in formatting the drive though… how did you go about it? Just so I don’t bugger it up. I’m on a Mac and would normally just use Disc Utility.

jules

yes garmin connect is flakey isn’t it?

i just used Windows Explorer to reformat the drive – to WIndows it’s just a drive like any other – right click and select (Quick) Format – easy. the device doesn’t care – the firmware isn’t affected (i don’t think).

Hardo

Yep, it sure is. Looks great, but clunky to use. Thanks for the tip Jules. So far the 2nd unit is more stable, but I’m only uploading to Strava via Desktop as to not complicate matters.

Which brings me to my next gripe. I had limited success in connecting to an iPad through Bluetooth to upload activities, but no luck connecting to an iPhone4s to play around with LiveTrack. I think Livetrack would be a useful tool for family members to see where you are on a ride…. if it worked. Friends have had success with iPhone5, but not without issue.

tj

The Find My Friends app on the iPhone works well for letting anyone track where you are, without entailing the battery life issues that LiveTrack creates.

Bluetooth for my 510 is a minor hassle. I generally upload via my android phone. After a ride I switch on the 510’s BT, and 95% of the time it does not connect. But when I switch it off and on the connection always works.

Hardo

Thanks Chris… The ol’ switch it of and on again trick! :)

Darwin

This was a real softball review for a product that Garmin shipped full of bugs.. They are being returned in huge numbers because if this. Read the Amazon reviews and what people are saying on the Garmin 1000 forums. I guess Cycling Tips is after Garmin ad money but they are doing a real disservice to their readers.

Matt de Neef

I reported on the bugs and issues that I encountered, asked Garmin for comment on them, and linked to other sites to show that I wasn’t the only one having such issues. The reality is, I didn’t experience all of the bugs that other people have reported and a review like this isn’t about scouring the web to find out all the issues that everyone has had with a product. Ultimately this review is based on my experience with the product and I’ve only been honest in writing it. The suggestion that we’ve written a “softball” review just to appease Garmin is simply untrue and, to be honest, more than a little offensive.

Terrence

I’m not prepared to jump into the ‘Garmin ad money’ conspiracy but this line: “… you won’t be disappointed, particularly once the next firmware update comes out.” is crazy talk.

If I spent that much money on anything, and it did not work yet as intended, I’d be quite disappointed. No one should get a pass for releasing an unfinished product. It’s all about what you ship, not the future potential of what you shipped.

Hardo

You’re absolutely right Terrence. I can forgive a few software/firmware glitches, but the problems I and [from what I’ve read] others are having is really effecting the enjoyment of the product, and in my eyes, the reputation/reliability of Garmin.

Boris

This is deliberate – they launch things buggy to get the cash flowing going – particularly from the early adopter spike (you know those people that queue) and sort it out as the punters find bugs. Unless the thing is terminal it means they can make coin now instead of aiming for perfection. Car makers started it, microsoft perfected it.

I intentionally go through great lengths and cost to keep all reviews and commercial relationships separate to make sure this does not happen. But there will always be skeptics because I’m well aware this is the way most reviews elsewhere work.

Matt

One minor correction – this review indicates that the 810 uses GLONASS, but it does not. This is noted in the CyclingTips 810 review as well. IMHO this was one of the big selling points of the 510 over the 810.

Am I the only one surprised that Strava haven’t made their iPhone app a complete Garmin replacement? I appreciate that Garmin’s have a distinct battery life advantage, but beyond that it seems like an iPhone (or other smartphone) should be ideally suited for rides under six hours or so. (I’ll grant the 510 is considerably smaller, but the 1000 sounds like it’s iPhone-sized anyway).

Given most people already have a phone in their pocket, then it’s a better solution for the weight weenies. And whilst there is risk that your phone might get broken in a crash, the cost of the Garmin 1000 is in the same ballpark as an iPhone anyway.

Duane Gran

I would say that Strava has been going this way for well over a year. They used to prominently encourage the purchase of Garmin units, but now they list Garmin models as just another supported GPS recording option and they have put a lot of investment into premium features that you only get on the mobile, such as real time segment results. I personally have used the mobile app for several years and recently have been using a Wahoo RFLKT+ to display real time stats. For rides less than six hours (longer and I take a spare battery) it works very well.

On another matter, I’ve noticed in every mention of the new segments from Garmin Connect the public reception seems quite blase. Many would perk up with interest at the ability to “race” Strava segments against virtual partners on the leader board, but the competing offering from Garmin is a ghost town in comparison. The drinks at their bar may be the same, but everyone is partying at the bar down the street.

I bought a Quadlock case on the mistaken assumption that getting a Premium Strava account would effectively allow me to use Strava as a Garmin equivalent.

I was wrong. But I can’t understand why.

It doesn’t seem like it would take that much technical effort to make the device ‘real-time’, and there are a few third party cases which allow mounting the iPhone to the stem.

The app already records the cadence output of Wahoo’s sensor via Bluetooth. So presumably it would be trivial to record and display the instantaneous speed output from the same device. Thus showing speed, average speed, cadence, heart-rate, position and altitude in real-time would require little more than redesigning the screen. Obviously battery life for the phone would be shortened considerably if the screen is left on. But most people don’t regularly ride all-dayers, and on those occasions you’d just need to be sensible about when you left the screen on.

The quality of the iPhone’s display and the touchscreen are supposedly generations better than Garmin.

I just can’t see obvious technical or marketing hurdles to making this available, and shortening the time before Garmin goes the way of camera manufacturers and other one-use device manufacturers…

Duane Gran

If you don’t mind using another app, you get good real time display using the Wahoo Fitness app in lieu of the Strava app. The Wahoo app can upload direct to Strava when finished. Cyclemeter is also quite good. I know some people who use a phone case with an integrated spare battery along with a stem mount. It works well. They just choose to not have the display turned on all the time. That isn’t a terrible compromise to reduce the amount of swag one takes along during a ride.

Kenn

If you look at many of the shorter Strava segments, all the bogus speeds and times that take the top ten places are from mobiles. A mobile in your back pocket is never going to get good GPS reception. You need to have the phone mounted on the bike with full view of the sky. If you look at the faulty Strava segment GPS data, the problem is with the phones not finding enough satellites to get high enough accuracy to plot the ride. The phones often only have an accuracy to as low as 200 meters or more. I have seen many 200 or 300 meter long segments with phones giving the rider a top speed of 200+ km/h!!

Jim

From what I’ve seen, Wahoo is sharpening up their android compatibility, and Strava is sharpening up their Wahoo compatibility. It already works with iOS apparently and the latest Strava beta. Once that is done, Android or iOS, the RFLKT+ will receive BLE/Btooth 4.0 and ANT+ sensors and then bridge all sensors up to your cellphone over BLE. At $80 for a HR strap (ANT+ and BLE) and $150 for the RFLKT+ I think this is the way I will go. Quite a bit more affordable, flexible and way more integrated for one simple upload to your chosen offline storage (Strava or WHY).

Arfy

Matt, this may seem a bit pedantic but the Edge 1000 User Manual states you can “Pair your device with a Bluetooth enabled Smartphone. Satellite information is sent to your device, enabling it to quickly locate satellite signals”. So it seems that the fast startup time you experienced was due to Assisted GPS/GLONASS rather than GLONASS, as GLONASS in itself doesn’t have a startup time that much faster than GPS.

I’m very suspicious of Garmin claiming they’re going to have a cure for the “software bug” they blame for the touchscreen failure. The reason nearly all water-proof touchscreens use resistive touchpanels (even the previous Garmin units) is because of the issues using capacitive touch especially over temperature and in high humidity. There are some methods that try to continually calibrate the capacitive touch sensor, but none of these have been confirmed bullet-proof (or should that be water-bomb proof?), and it seems that Garmin are in the same boat as everyone else.
One thing I was excited to hear was the speed unit that attaches to the axle. This unit uses an accelerometer to measure the axle rotation, as does the cadence sensor. This is actually a quantum leap forward, as by having the mass of the unit located near the center of rotation makes the wheel more balanced. Having a magnet on a spoke away from the center of the wheel never made much sense if you want to have a fast, balanced wheel.

Hi Arfy, couple of points: the first time I connected to GLONASS with the unit was before I tried out the Bluetooth connection and it was just as fast as it was subsequently. Same with the Edge 510 when I reviewed that.

As for the touchscreen bug, here’s what the Garmin rep told me: “I am currently testing a software version for the Edge 1000 that has not been released to the public yet and there are no issues with the touchscreen. This is likely to be made public shortly.”

Arfy I have the Edge 1000 and it takes less than 2 seconds to locate satellites every time. I didnt do research on how it does it and i dont care. It does it every time. I no longer have to wheel my bike out of the garage mintutes before wanting to leave. I turn the unit on as i am walking out of the garage and by the time i can press start the GPS is done.

WayneA

Youre a fool

dahondude

I almost bought one of these for the mapping functionality, but based on this review and glad I didn’t. I’ll stick with by Edge 500 (for recording rides) and use offline maps with Pocket Earth on my iphone (for working out where I am – especially useful when overseas where you dont want to be using data).

Manning Thomson

The thing that I really don’t get, is that for it’s size the screen is actually quite small! Look at the size of the bezel around it. I’ve seen a comparison of the actual screen size difference between a 1000 & 800, there isn’t much in it

alexvalentine

This device is way too big, and doesn’t do much to differentiate from the 800 let alone the 810. What garmin needs is a device with the feature set of the 1000 in a form factor that has the weight of the 500. PS Garmin: Nobody gives a rats ass about segments outside of Strava.

I’d love to see someone with Apple’s software/hardware sensibility enter this market.

Hamish Moffatt

You mean you want someone to come in, steal ideas from other companies then claim to have invented the whole idea of a sports fitness device?

Hardo

I don’t care who does it, or claims they did it…. I just want it to bloody work Hamish.

Hardo

Ha ha… I’d call it “innovation of existing inspiration”.

But I hope you’re still enjoying the use of your “motorola flip-phone”, whilst riding your “safety bicycle” Hamish.

mt

I was using a Garmin 500 and with it the original heart rate strap ( large wide solid component around front strap). I had been looking to upgrade to the 510 as I thought I probably didn’t need extensive mapping functionality. Then the Garmin 1000 came out- I bought it. I must say it’s size did take some getting used to but using the k-edge mount and not the Garmin mount keeps it flushly off the stem/handlebars out front in the same position I had the 500. For me its functions are great; very user friendly to move around in, and the mapping for rides/routes is easy and visibility on rides excellent- I am using this more. The blue tooth I tend not to use until after the ride to automatically upload- love this; quick and simple. Relative to the Garmin 500 this has been a big upgrade for me and I haven’t used the 510/800 or 810 to make any fair comparisons so can’t comment on these. The completed ride data is also complrehensive giving graphics as you would see on Garmin/Strava eg TSS/IF etc if using a power metre. I haven’t experienced any bugs…yet. Overall, considering the magnitude of the upgrade for me, I enjoy using it, its simple to use/move around in, and provides data in a familiar format. The chest strap compared to the original hard front strap works well for me and is more comfortable to wear.

SoouthernHoax

Exactly my experience MT. Well said.

Steve G

WTF is with the gearing display?!
Can’t it just give you a smaller option saying something like 52/15 instead of the huge visual?

Indeed. We linked to his review at the bottom of ours. Don’t underestimate how much time it takes him to put together one of those reviews. You’re probably looking at 50 hours of work or more, if I had to guess, not including the riding. Seriously dedicated.